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Reaction to Apple Watch: it doesn't have a camera?!

harry20larry

harry20larry

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 14, 2008
574
14
This is the most common reaction I seem to get when people ask about my Apple Watch is asking why it doesn't have a camera. People often saying that would be the coolest part of it.

I would have absolutely no use for a camera on my watch, even if it was a front facing one for FaceTime.

Do you think this will be a similar case to the rear facing camera on the iPad. Something that tech people/Apple really don't understand why people want it, but they do...
 
Strange observation. Thanks for sharing. I'm curious what I'll hear when my watch arrives tomorrow :)

Unless there's a way to magically conceal the camera underneath the surface glass, Apple will probably never consider adding a camera. It wouldn't fit their standard of aesthetics.

That said, I hope this isn't on their "someday" list… nobody wants to be walking around with a camera pointed at them all day long. You're right, there's no practical use… FaceTime I can imagine the experience would be awful. The watch is an extension of the phone, not an all-in-one or replacement.
 
Payton said:
Unless there's a way to magically conceal the camera underneath the surface glass, Apple will probably never consider adding a camera. It wouldn't fit their standard of aesthetics.

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The smaller watch sceen in the 42 case= Room for camera.

Or, just work around it in the GUI.

Enough people want it, they will add it. Seem like really cool idea.
 
An optional band with a camera on it would be fine. But if the put a camera on the watch itself, that would be me out.
 
If they ever add a camera I will cry :(

Maybe for FaceTime only ? I prefer using my iPhone camera or my Real Camera
 
Well, they do say the best camera is the one always on you :D

I think it will have at some point.

The challenge will be to have a single camera for both pictures and FaceTime.
 
I thought about having a camera on the Watch but then decided I'm not a fan of the idea. I see as being awkward trying to twist/turn my wrist to line up a picture. No thanks, I'll just pull out my iPhone and use that camera, I'm sure it's better than any camera they could fit in the watch.
 
Pupi said:
Well, they do say the best camera is the one always on you :D

I think it will have at some point.

The challenge will be to have a single camera for both pictures and FaceTime.
Click to expand...
Yes you're absolutely right.

People keep forgetting the whole point of the watch is to not have to pull your phone out all day, and if that becomes the norm, then a lot of pictures will get missed. Moreover Apple is all about FaceTime .. The watch can make calls now, and it's the perfect device on which to FaceTime, no fumbling to pull out the phone, just tap and go.

There will be a FaceTime camera 2nd Gen. It's on the top of their to do list.

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Payton said:
Unless there's a way to magically conceal the camera underneath the surface glass, Apple will probably never consider adding a camera. It wouldn't fit their standard of aesthetics.
Click to expand...

You've seen the bump on the back of the iPhone 6 right? So much for Apples aesthetic standards.
 
A Facetime camera in future versions of the watch is inevitable! In fact, it would be a good device for video chat, as the larger the device is, the further the camera is from the centre of the screen, which means eye contact with the other person is off and feels unnatural.
 
Mac 128 said:
Yes you're absolutely right.

People keep forgetting the whole point of the watch is to not have to pull your phone out all day, and if that becomes the norm, then a lot of pictures will get missed. Moreover Apple is all about FaceTime .. The watch can make calls now, and it's the perfect device on which to FaceTime, no fumbling to pull out the phone, just tap and go.

There will be a FaceTime camera 2nd Gen. It's on the top of their to do list.

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You've seen the bump on the back of the iPhone 6 right? So much for Apples aesthetic standards.
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You don't wear your iPhone.
 
Good lord, No. I hate FaceTime on my phone as it is. People always aim wrong and I end up looking up their nose for half the conversation. With a wrist camera they're going to have that camera wobbling everywhere and I'll get motion sickness.

But my daughter and her friend seem to like it well enough. I guess it's fine if you're young and cute and have a strong stomach for the motion.

I can't seem to shake the feeling FaceTime makes me look like this:
 

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Ugh, please no camera ever. Holding your hand up to take photos would be the most awkward thing ever. Facetiming with a front-facing watchface camera would be the most unflattering angle ever.

"Hey everyone, come see what the inside of my nose looks like!".
 
No camera!

One would have to take the watch off in certain workplaces, court buildings, etc. People in bars would be suspicious of you, similar to the Google Glass, afraid they're being recorded in secret. Holding my wrist up for a multi-minute FaceTime call would be terribly fatiguing, not to mention likely an awful angle.

Not trying to be a Luddite. Just pragmatic.
 
I think people are confused with camera and a 3d hologram. Not yet people, we are not flying spaceship like Star Trek yet.
 
I doubt it will ever have a camera. For reference, the Gear 2 had a camera, but the Gear S does not. I think it's a turnoff for many people because of privacy concerns.
 
The demographics of the 35 and younger crowd include an obsession to capture everything on camera.

It's only because the Apple Watch doesn't have one that some people say they don't want it. Yet there was literally thousands of posts in hundreds of threads in this very forum bashing Google for its "useless" 7.0" tablet which would never be a size they'd buy.

Then Apple introduced the iPad mini. With supersonic speed the haters reversed, declaring the 8" mini brilliant. Can you say hypocritical?

I'd bet the moment Apple puts a camera on the watch, it'll immediately be declared, brilliant, life changing and revolutionary... It's in the DNA of the Faithful..:)
 
Maybe is useless in a watch, but Samsung put a camera on the first Gear i think, idk if anyone used it hehehe
 
xraydoc said:
No camera!

One would have to take the watch off in certain workplaces, court buildings, etc. People in bars would be suspicious of you, similar to the Google Glass, afraid they're being recorded in secret. Holding my wrist up for a multi-minute FaceTime call would be terribly fatiguing, not to mention likely an awful angle.

Not trying to be a Luddite. Just pragmatic.
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That's a fair concern, but what about secret audio recordings you can already make with your iPhone? That quote from Mitt Romney about the 47%ers, didn't need video to ruin him.

Also, what good is the video if it's not pointed at the subject. I'd think if someone is holding their arm motionless so that the watch is pointed directly at you for any length of time is enough to be pretty obvious. Google Glass failed because there was no way to know if people were being recorded just talking to someone face to face. It would be pretty obvious with the watch and socially unacceptable. No different than if somebody holds their iPhone to take a picture, it's a very different appearance than just using the phone.

FaceTime is the reason there will be a camera in the watch, and it will happen in Gen 2. It won't be any more obtrusive than the current FaceTime camera in the iPhone. Apple intentionally chose to include a frame bevel around the display instead of going to the edges. It wasn't just a design choice, it was a pragmatic choice to future proof the design to allow for additional sensors on the face without any unsightly bulges on the case, like the iPhone 6. See this mockup pick:

applewatch2_0009.jpg
 
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Mac 128 said:
applewatch2_0009.jpg
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That looks nice but not practical, they'll have to completely redesign the internals to even fit a front facing camera. And if you take a part any of apple's currently gen products, the cameras aren't exactly small. Thus it will require them to make a camera nearly flat. Can it be done? Sure it can, but it's not by any means needed. Considering the watch it tied to the phone to me it's a complete waste to put a 1 megapixel camera on it for facetime.
 
a camera on the watch would be so tacky....

the idea of the apple watch is that you only look at it for 5 seconds or less.

any longer than that then the phone or the tablet would be the best gadget for it.
 
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